Session 1:Emerging trends in engagementThis session will explore the most pressing and relevant trends for engagement practitioners. Presenters will reflect on the past 12 months and provide observations and examples of where they think the industry is heading in the near future. The session will uncover emerging techniques, as well as look at engagement across industries and delve into how this impacts the way we plan and deliver projects.

Session 2:Engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communitiesEngaging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communitiesThis session is designed to create better outcomes when we engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and community members from a CALD background. Hear from experienced practitioners who will provide advice based on their experience working with and as part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and CALD communities.

Session 3:Digital and virtual engagementEach year we aim to bring you updates on new and emerging technology which can help make engagement fun, interesting and more effective. This year our program offers some very exciting demonstrations of digital engagement, virtual and augmented reality which has been used to great effect. The session will featurepresentations from universities, leading tech companies and organisations who are using these tools to better engage.

Session 4:Careers in community and stakeholder engagementHave you ever thought about where a career in community and stakeholder could take you? Our diverse panel of engagement professionals will talk through the many paths and trajectories a career in this industry can take you. We’ll discuss careers inthe government and private sector, consulting and contract work and even working for yourself. The session will also delve into what study and qualifications you should seek, and whether a standardised qualification should be available to professionals inthis sector.

Session 5:Engaging with regional and remote communitiesThis session features organisations who work with regional and remote communities on a daily basis, sharing their stories and successes. Hear real-life examples of how to best engage with regional and remote communities and how to reach those in geographically challenging locations.

Session 6:Interactive group learning sessionsThroughout the two days take part in group learning which is designed so that participants can network, share challenges and wins and learn from the wealth of knowledge in the room.

The scene is set and you are getting ready to walk into a room full of people with varying views, opinions and emotions about the topic under discussion…

Are you ready to facilitate?

• Will you be able to get people talking with each other rather than at each other?

• How will you keep them on track?

• Have you allowed enough time to get to the end point?

• Have you selected the right deliberative tools?

This workshop develops a deeper understanding of the three key dynamics of facilitation (the group, the facilitator and the issue) and how they come together in the session. This workshop is a practical exploration of tools, techniques and strategies to assist groups arrive at an outcome. The day will be interactive and designed to ensure the strategies discussed are practically understood and not just theories.

The Presenter

Joel Levin is the founder and Managing Director at Aha! Consulting and has over 20 year’s experience working across corporate, government and community organisations alike.

His organisational, engagement and facilitation skills stem from a background in counselling, training, community work and senior management. In previous roles, Joel has been the Senior Training Consultant for the Department of Community Development, Manager
of the WACOSS sector development unit and Executive officer of a youth service.

Joel is a licensed trainer for the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), was the founding coordinator for the WA network and is one of their ambassadors.

Joel’s facilitation, strategy and engagement skills have seen the work of Aha! Consulting expand both across Australia and Internationally. In 2015, Joel began working with the United Nations, exploring how they can use the engagement approach to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Exciting program of industry experts for our Perth Summit

Dr Clare MouatLecturerThe University ofWestern Australia

Clare Mouat is a Human Geography and Planning lecturer at the University of Western Australia. As an expert in planning and political geographies of community, she is passionate about planning for inclusive and just cities. Recent articles on ‘recognising “community” in multi-owned property law and living’, super-sizing cities, and using conflict productively in planning draw on her award-winning PhD: Rethinking Community in Planning: A review of the role of planners and citizens in building strong communities.

Her story-telling weaves different disciplines and life experiences about areas of growing importance to 21st century urbanism: like building community in multi-owned developments, and decision-making the interface of community, public policy, and industry in managing competing environmental demands relating to health and prosperity. She champions political thinking about how we learn to disagree; to live harmoniously in high-rise housing and with our environment; and to plan for community governance in smaller and larger cities.

Erin BournePrincipal ConsultantCollage Group

Creative leader, with an honest and collaborative working style, experienced in all aspects of corporate affairs, community business partnerships, stakeholder engagement, marketing and communications.

Over 25 years’ experience in developing community and employee engagement strategies, building stakeholder relationships, negotiating and managing cross-sector partnerships.

Extensive experience in delivery of programs in regional Australia, many focused on regional economic development, education and health outcomes and many focused on assisting Aboriginal people.

Led large innovative branding and communication campaigns in Australia and overseas.

Board Member – Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation and MIFWA.

Dan PoppingEngagement ManagerBang the Table

Dan Popping joins the Bang the Table team with over fifteen years of engagement experience in state and local government in South Australia. Along with his wealth of experience, Dan brings a passion for giving people a voice in decisions that affect their lives. In his government roles, he has acted as an advisor, developing and delivering hundreds of engagement projects.

Charles ConnellCo-founderSocial Pinpoint

Enjoying applying technology to solve real world problems, Charles co-founded Social Pinpoint in 2013 to help organizations connect with their communities and stakeholder on planning, infrastructure, transport, parks and rec, and community projects. Social Pinpoint’s interactive mapping tools have been used on hundreds of projects across Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA, with well over 2 million interactions on our platform and user numbers growing every day.

Dr Joel FredericksAcademicUniversity of Technology, Sydney

Dr Joel Fredericks is an academic researcher, community engagement practitioner and urban planner. He has worked as a consultant on a range of community and infrastructure projects in the road, rail, water and energy sectors. In this role, he has facilitated national, state and local community engagement programs across a diverse range of stakeholders. Joel’s academic research sits across the domains of community engagement, urban planning, digital placemaking, media architecture, smart cities and immersive technologies.

He has worked on a variety of transdisciplinary research projects that adopt digital technologies and participatory design methods to support collaborative approaches in designing and developing immersive technologies. Joel has authored and co-authored many publications in journals, edited books, and conference proceedings.

Salena AvardGeneral ManagerEngagement Hub

Salena began her career in the private sector with a focus on marketing, communications and events. She also has fifteen years’ local government experience, specialising in economic and community development, funding attraction, communications and community and stakeholder engagement.

Salena’s formal qualifications are in Marketing, Business Administration and Local Government Management, but her passion is for people.

Latoya Bolton Black has over 15 years’ experience working across Aboriginal support services including health, housing and education.

A Nyoongar woman from Narrogin, Latoya is passionate about working with Aboriginal girls integrating sports and education to enhance their personal development, her current role at Shooting Stars allows Latoya to focus on this passion daily. Through her sporting achievements, employment history, community and cultural linkages to Narrogin and surrounding areas Latoya has grown great skills to work in this area.

Throughout her career Latoya has demonstrated an ability to communicate at all levels from grassroots up to executive. She is a strong believer in working in collaborative partnerships with all service providers and the local community.

A fundamental imperative Latoya possesses is respectful and mutually beneficial relationships. A manager of Latoya recently commented that she was “the glue that held this place together” in that particular workplace. Latoya’s empathy, integrity and fairness are clearly demonstrated in her day to day practices

Angela started in the health industry as a volunteer in the HIV/AIDS field in the early nineties and went on to study a BSc in Health Promotion at Curtin Uni, graduating in 2000. Her varied health promotion journey involved crime prevention in local government, a stint of short term contracts with WA Health and Aboriginal Medical Services across the Kimberley region of WA, learning more from the people than they learnt from her, before moving to the Centre for Health Promotion in SA and mental health and breastfeeding. Here was her first stint in management. Returning to WA through a management role at Anglicare WA, her scope

broadened to domestic violence and homelessness until the position was made redundant in 2014. Then onwards to BreastScreen WA as the Coordinator of Health Promotion & Recruitment, continually learning new ways to communicate with women about their health. During her time at BreastScreen Angela has also undertaken post grad studies in Community Development at Murdoch Uni and engaging with women in community is still her greatest passion.

As a highly experienced corporate and community affairs professional, I am dedicated to building authentic relationships that enable great decision making and facilitate change. With a demonstrated history of working across industry including land and property development, resources and social services in the private, government and not for profit sectors, I have a highly recognized track record working across Australia as a skillful practitioner, advocate and advisor in Corporate Stakeholder and Community Engagement; Community Development; Crisis and Issues Management, Strategic Communications and Change Management. I have also blended leadership, business development, project management and governance expertise to achieve a multi-disciplinary career to date.

Deanie Carbon Community Engagement Officer City of Cockburn

IAP2 accredited and convenor of IAP2 WA, Deanie is a community engagement professional from the public and private sectors, now back working in local government and providing an advisory service to City of Cockburn staff about best practice in engagement. With a professional background in managing multi-disciplinary teams in communications, media crisis management, marketing, advertising, web, graphic design,

events, community engagement and photography, as well as being a trained facilitator and meeting chair, she brings a wide range of skills to the role.

Dr Harry BlaggProfessor of CriminologyThe University of WesternAustralia

Harry works in Indigenous justice and aims is to be part of a process in Australia that recognises and acknowledges Indigenous sovereignty. Harry is passionate in reducing the unacceptable and shameful levels of Indigenous over-representation in the justice system and inter-generational trauma.

Dr Josh ByrneDirectorJosh Byrne & Associates

Dr Josh Byrne is an environmental scientist, author, television presenter and research academic. Josh has a unique approach to environmental design and community engagement, and is recognised as one of Australia’s leading sustainability communicators. He is Director of Josh Byrne & Associates – a multi award winning Fremantle based consulting practice integrating the fields of landscape architecture, built environment sustainability, media and communications.

Josh is a Research Fellow with Curtin University and the CRC for Low Carbon Living, and an Adjunct Associate Professor with School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales. His research activities span high performance housing, water sensitive design and sustainable urban developments. Josh is well known as a television presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia where over past 15 years he has showcased the benefits of sustainable gardening to a national audience.

Ingrid CummingCommunity EngagementSpecialistCity of Canning

Ingrid Cumming is a Whadjuk Noongar woman from Fremantle, Western Australia. A graduate of Murdoch University and Melbourne Business School, she has during her career, presented and published articles internationally including one with the United Nations Women Leaders Collective in Israel, represented Indigenous Australian Business in the US, presented at TedXPerth 2014 and is internationally recognised for her work in leadership, Indigenous knowledge, research and cultural development.

Her business Kart Koort Wiern has won and been a finalist for various awards including Business News 40 under 40, NAIDOC Perth, Belmont Small Business Awards for her work as an entrepreneur.

James BestCEOFuturePlexus

James Best is a Strategist, Futurist, and Facilitator with 29 years business experience in leading people and organisations to deliver successful outcomes. James has a strong track record in successfully bring competing stakeholders together using innovation and creativity. He has exceptional strategic communication skills in conceiving, planning and implementing corporate programs, projects, and campaigns.

Lyn DimerCultural Lead CoordinatorHeart Foundation

Lyn is key advocate within the Aboriginal community who aims to increase mainstream and staff knowledge on cultural issues and appropriate ways of working within Aboriginal communities. Lyn is an identified person within the Aboriginal community, therefore reducing the time to build relationships. She seen as a leader at the forefront of Aboriginal health and cultural issues which affect the Aboriginal community locally. Lyn promotes public relations between staff and community and acts on issues relating to Aboriginal health.

Sarah GrahamPartnership ManagerAct-Belong-Commit

Sarah is a partnership manager at Act-Belong-Commit. Her role involves the coordination of marketing strategies, partnership management and delivering educational strategies to communities.

Will BessenCommunity EngagementFacilitatorTuna Blue Facilitation

Will works side by side with teams and communities to design, facilitate and report on participative process to foster shared decision making. He has facilitated over 800 workshops across diverse sectors including, health, mental health, primary industry, local government, Indigenous, environmental, ASX corporate and logistics.

Darius is an experienced and energetic consultant with a down to earth approach, specialising in community and stakeholder engagement and strategic planning. Darius has extensive project management experience on strategic communications projects across a wide variety of topics and industries and including local government.

Darius uses a fresh and creative approach to community and stakeholder engagement, providing innovative solutions using online and traditional mediums to engage the target audience. Darius is also an engaging and thoughtful facilitator with an ability to read a room and make participants feel at ease.

Darius is experienced in delivering strategic communications on major projects and has worked with organisations to develop practical and accessible strategic plans, policies and frameworks.
Darius holds a Master of Commerce from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of New South Wales.

Key benefits of attending

• Actively participate in a mixture of hands on, lecture and workshop based learning lead by subject experts

• Be part of the group that shapes the future of engagement practice across the nation

• Learn about professional development opportunities and how to take the next step as a community engagement leader

• You will meet face to face with leaders, senior engagement professionals and consultants with vast experience in the sector

• Hear from leading academics on the latest research in community engagement and digital tools

• Many opportunities to ask for solutions to challenges you encounter at your organisation